Conjecture #5–Quantum Solipsism (Part one)

Note: It has been so long since I published part I of this conjecture, I feel the need to refresh my memory–let alone yours–before completing it with part II. You can catch up on all my cockamamie speculations by clicking on the “Millenmium Conjectures” category link to the right.

“Cogito Ergo Sum”–René Descartes

“What if god is our dream, and we’re his?”–Christian Bale as Jamie Graham in Empire of the Sun

I conjecture: In a Many Worlds quantum multiverse, each individual consciousness represents a distinctly different universe.

I once overheard a friend explaining the multitude of religious beliefs to her young daughter in following manner.

She said, “everyone believes something different, and everyone is right!”

Really? This seems to be the ultimate illogical statement in the illogical realm of religious beliefs. If everybody believes something different, it seems to me infinitely more likely that everyone is wrong. I won’t get into the implications for religious beliefs in this conjecture, mainly because I don’t care. Suffice to say that stretched to an outre extreme, this conjecture does suggest a manner in which everyone could be right. It’s always fascinated me how different individuals could be so certain of world views that are so diametrically opposed. Of course, one can tie that to cultural and cognitive differences resulting in seemingly different worlds. But then maybe we’re all just be living in our own distinct quantum universes.

Let’s be clear on one thing. In my own head, I’m sitting on the fence between Copenhagen and Many Worlds…a kind of quantum superposition, simultaneously believing both. But let’s get to the heart of the matter before I get too far ahead of myself.

What, exactly, is solipsism? The brief dictionary description is simple enough: it’s the notion that only the self exists, or can be proven to exist. Taken to the limit, it can result in a second definition: extreme self-absorption and egoism.

I don’t buy this and am not suggesting it. While I’m not 100% certain of anything, external or internal, I still believe that you exist and our interactions do influence each other. We may be in separate parallel universes, but these planes of existence overlap, in much the same way that these universes interfere with each each other on the quantum level. (It’s worth noting that the conjecture wording says “distinct different” universe and not “distinctly separate.”) But the fact remains: if The Many Worlds theory holds true the notion of quantum solipsism in some form must be taken seriously. It’s as if our observations roll the quantum dice and influence which course through the multiverse each individual consciousness takes. This notion will be the subject of conjecture #6, though at the rate I am going, this may take place a long, long time from now in a galaxy far, far away. For more on solipsism including more detailed and nuanced description of it, and its various sub-categories, go here.

In the second part of this conjecture, I’ll deal with two very disturbing and controversial extensions of a “strong” quantum solipsism world view. Quantum suicide and quantum immortality. You’ll need to hold on to your metaphysical hats for this one.

And if you don’t get any of this, don’t worry. I’m just impressed that I used “ontological” in a sentence.

Comments

I guess I am an agnostic towards both the Copenhagen and the Multiverse interpretations. I don’t believe we know enough about the quantum world to sensibly determine which is “true”. Or maybe both are true, just never at the same time.